It's Zwane versus Chamber of Mines

Published Aug 4, 2017

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“It has come to the attention of the Chamber of Mines that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) head office has instructed all the DMR regional offices to stop processing any section 11, new mining right or prospecting right applications submitted by mining companies after July 19, 2017,” the chamber’s president Mxolisi Mgojo said. 

“In essence, the DMR is implementing the DMR minister’s proposed moratorium on new applications in terms of section 49 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) despite the closing date for comments on the proposal only being on August 4, 2017.” 

This comes as the chamber last week lodged an urgent interdict in the Pretoria High Court to prevent mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane from implementing a notice to suspend the processing of the new section 11 of the MPRDA. Zwane last month invited representations on his intention to restrict the granting of new application for prospecting rights and mining rights.

- ANA

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